ScoobyDoo and the Vicious Vampire
by ElisabethCarter
Summary: The gang relaxes now that Morte is in prison, but soon they discover that their own school is no longer safe. As a vampire targets them and Morte still messes with their heads, will Mystery, Inc. be able to solve the mystery? Part of my series. Review!
1. A Threat in the Books

Thanks everyone for reviewing on my last story. Your reviews have inspired me to start writing this story way earlier than I had intended to. Just warning you, I'm not too sure where this is going. I have a pretty good idea but, as I've said before, I just write whatever happens to pop into my head at the moment. I'd like to give a special thanks to Hollie who provided me with the idea for this story. Also, LadyStrength's ideas will be mentioned later on. Well, anyway, here you go! Enjoy!

_Chapter 1 A Threat in the Books_

Fred Jones, the tall blonde leader of a local group of teenage detectives, walked down the halls of Coolsville High. He ignored the flirting girls who were attempting to approach him and walked toward the locker of one of his best friends. As he reached his destination, Daphne Blake looked up, flipping her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Hey, Fred," she greeted with a smile, causing his heart to beat abnormally fast.

"Hi, Daph," he responded, grinning back. Despite the fact that Fred had made attempts to make his feelings known, the two of them were still just friends. Every time he got up the nerve to do or say something, they were interrupted. He was starting to wonder if this was some sort of sign that they would never be together.

Daphne had opened her mouth to say something to him, but was cut off as a familiar red-haired bully approached. James "Red" Herring had maintained a reputation as a rather cruel, tough guy. Fred and Red were well-known adversaries. Their feud had started nearly ten years earlier, and, though each had changed a lot since then, neither was willing to forgive the other and stop the hatred. Recently, Red had been making an effort to talk to Fred and Daphne more, though they were still unaware of the reasons for this sudden outreach.

"What do you want, Red?" Fred asked, glaring at the boy.

Red snickered at Fred's obvious hatred. "Just thought I'd come by and see how you guys are doing," he responded with mock-innocence. He turned his attention to Daphne. "Do you want to hang out or something after school today?"

Fred clenched his fists and locked his jaw.

"Sorry, I can't," Daphne lied. "Fred and I were going to go over to Shaggy's house."

"How about tomorrow?" Red asked hopefully.

Daphne bit her lip, not wanting to sound too mean. She decided to tell Red the truth. "Look, Red, you're a really great guy and all, but I can't. I kind of have...feelings for someone else," she said quietly, never allowing herself to glance back at Fred and analyze his reaction. Instead, her gaze remained focused on the red-haired boy in front of her.

Red looked disheartened for a brief moment. Then, everything seemed to change as he realized who Daphne's heart must actually belong to. "Fine," he muttered, walking past her toward Fred. "But if you think this is over, Jones, you're wrong," he added threateningly to the blonde. Red stormed away, leaving Daphne and Fred standing there awkwardly. As the bully left, he passed a familiar scrawny kid and a nerdy girl.

Velma Dinkley, the smartest member of Mystery, Inc., was getting books from her locker as Shaggy Rogers stood over her.

"So, like, Velma," Shaggy said to her, "did you watch 'Warehouse 13' last night?"

"Warehouse 13" was their favorite show, and, though they knew it was geeky to be watching it, they did anyway. It also provided an easy way to get a conversation started between the two. The episode from the previous night had made a special impact on Velma. There was one line where the main character was doubting herself. "I'm not the pretty one," she had said. "My sister is." Velma sighed in remembrance, feeling that this was the story of her life.

"Yeah, I saw it," she replied thoughtfully. "I really liked it."

Shaggy detected the sadness in her tone. He wondered why talking about their favorite TV show could possibly upset her. Then, it hit him. "Oh, Velms, you think, like, totally think you're Myka," he said. "You think that Madelyn is, like, the pretty one and you're not." He took her silence as confirmation. "No," he told her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Velma, you may not know this, but you are, like, totally gorgeous."

Velma looked up at him and smiled. Shaggy always knew what to say when she was feeling down. "Thanks," she said softly. Then, Velma felt a sudden burst of bravery and she leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to go to class," she muttered lamely before walking away, leaving him alone and smiling.

Later that day, Shaggy caught up to Fred in the halls.

"Like, dude, you'll never guess what happened," he said excitedly, though Fred didn't look the least bit interested.

"What?" Fred asked shortly, obviously upset. He realized that his tone had offended his friend. "I'm sorry, Shaggy. It's just that Red came up and asked Daphne out, but she said no, claiming that she has 'feelings for someone else.' That means I have no chance," he groaned. "It means that she doesn't care about me." He looked down at his feet as he scuffed the floor with his shoes.

Shaggy chuckled, causing Fred to look up, confused, for he had no idea what could possibly be so funny about his current situation. "What if, like, you're the dude Daphne likes? It's possible."

Fred mulled over this new idea. He wasn't willing to give himself too much false hope, but the mere thought of that being true was enough to lift his spirits. He smiled and recalled the reason his lanky friend had come to see him in the first place. "Oh, right, Shaggy, didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?"

Shaggy struggled to remember what he had to say. "Oh, yeah," he said. "So Velma was, like, feeling kind of depressed and I cheered her up, and she totally kissed me, like, right on the cheek. That has to mean something, right?"

Fred grinned at his friend's enthusiasm over the brilliant girl. "Of course," he responded cheerily. Fred was actually making this up, for he truly had no idea if it was significant or not. The girl that had become important in his life was so confusing that he now had no idea as to what meant something and what didn't anymore.

After school, the gang stayed late to help Velma do some research in the library. They were having a rather fun time, considering where they were.

Fred was walking down an isle, searching for a particular book that he was unable to find. He looked over to see that Daphne had joined him on his quest. The two of them were so absorbed in their search that they almost didn't notice when a third figure appeared at the end of the row. The person was ghostly pale, a great contrast to his jet black hair. His eyes were abnormally bright green and his lips were a bloody red color. He wore dark clothes and a black cape. But the thing that stuck out to Fred and Daphne the most were his fangs, two long, sharp, white fangs.

"Leave here at once," the figure commanded them menacingly, his voice only a low hiss. There was a puff of smoke and he vanished, leaving Fred and Daphne alone once more, now fearing this new threat.

They rushed back to their friends and quickly explained that they had seen a strange creature while looking for a book.

"Jinkies! What was it?" Velma asked.

Fred and Daphne glanced at each other before simultaneoulsy replying, "A vampire."


	2. A Fright in the Night

Hi, everyone who's reading this, which I know isn't many people at this point. But, if you are, could you please leave a review with one thing to liked about this chapter and one thing you disliked? Please, just take ten seconds of your time to do me this favor. It would really mean a lot.

_Chapter 2 A Fright in the Night_

"L-l-like, did you say v-v-vampire?" Shaggy stammered, his whole body shaking in fear.

"Yeah," Daphne responded breathlessly, for she was still panting from the run.

"Well, where did he go?" Velma asked curiously, seeming to be the only one affected by the new information.

"L-l-like, right there," Shaggy answered, pointing a bony finger toward the door.

The vampire stood there, blocking the exit. The gang backed away slowly as their visitor approached. The library was fairly small. Consequently, the teenagers soon found themselves trapped in a corner, the creature still stepping toward them. He stuck out his hand, reaching for Daphne. Fred slapped the vampire's hand away and pushed Daphne behind him.

"Leave. Her. Alone," he commanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The vampire chuckled and hissed. He was a good deal taller than Fred, giving him a more intimidating appearance. Regardless of this, Fred lunged toward the fanged man, both of them landing on the floor. The vampire was stronger and flipped Fred onto his back, on white hand on the boy's throat.

"You will never be good enough for her," the creature hissed menacingly.

All of a sudden, a puff of smoke filled the air and everyone coughed, trying to clear it away. As soon as they were able to breathe again, they noticed that the vampire was no longer with them. He had simply vanished.

"He's gone," Velma stated simply.

"Fred, are you okay?" Daphne asked. "He looked like he was going to strangle you or something. It had me worried," she confessed, blushing ever so slightly.

Fred smiled at her concern. At least she cared enough to not want him dead. "I'm fine," he responded, thinking back to what the vampire had told him. "You will never be good enough for her." Though it was a strange thing for a mythical creature to be saying to a teenage boy, it was really starting to get to him. He was starting to believe that this statement was true. Daphne was perfect in every way imaginable, and he was just Fred Jones, a rich kid with nothing to offer. "I'm fine," he said once more, getting up and walking away, leaving Daphne alone. He would never be good enough for her. He had already proven this when he had allowed his ego to convince him that he was desirable enough to be Daphne's mystery crush. He shook his head, not looking back at her. Though Fred knew it was wrong of him to be taking out his frustration at himself on her, he couldn't think of anything else to do.

Daphne watched him leave. She didn't understand. What had she done wrong? Why could he possibly be upset with her? Daphne shook her head as if that would somehow clear away all these troubling thoughts.

The students left the library shortly after, promising to return the following day before school to investigate further.

Velma was to sleep over at Daphne's house that night. The girls would be staying in the guest house, built on the outskirts of the Blakes' property, not connected to the rest of Blake Manor. Daphne spent most of her time out there, escaping the pressure and judgment of her parents.

"What's wrong, Daphne?" Velma asked, noticing that her friend seemed a little down.

Daphne sighed sadly. "It's this whole thing with Fred," she replied, feeling foolish for allowing a boy to have this much power over her emotions. "I thought we were getting really close, but, today, when Red asked me out, I mentioned that I had feelings for someone else. Ever since then, Fred has been acting really weird. He seems annoyed with me, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong." She played with the white charm that hung from the necklace she was wearing. Fred had given it to her as a sign of their friendship. He had a similar charm, and, when they were put together, they formed the Yin-Yang sign. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked with pleading eyes.

Velma shook her head. "Honestly, Daph, I have no clue. You and Fred have a very...complicated relationship. If I were you, I'd tell him how I feel."

Daphne thought over this option for a moment. She decided that she didn't have anything to lose and nodded, promising to do this as soon as possible. The red-head made her way over to her laptop, opening up her e-mail. She searched through her mail, searching for anything that seemed interesting or important.

Daphne gasped.

"What is it?" Velma questioned curiously, walking over toward her friend and looking at the computer screen.

There was an unopened e-mail from Morte. Daphne clicked it, terrified of what she would find.

_Daphne Blake, as sweet as can be.  
You thought you'd gotten rid of me.  
But as you can see, you were wrong.  
I've been with you all along.  
I know I haunt your every move  
And you fear for those you could lose.  
Don't worry, don't fret.  
Nothing's going to happen yet.  
But Phase Five must be complete  
Before the test can be beat.  
Relax for a while; solve the case you have.  
But know this: I'll soon be back._

_-Morte_

Daphne shivered, glancing quickly over her shoulder to make sure that Morte hadn't somehow snuck into her guest house. The darkness of the night was beginning to cast an eerie glow over the room the girls were in. She couldn't believe that the maniac was locked away in a mental institution, but was still torturing her. Daphne read through the e-mail once more, fearing what was to come.

One thing was dreadfully clear: Morte had not left their lives. In fact, her threats seemed more dangerous and frightening than ever.


	3. A Motive in the Mayhem

_Chapter 3 A Motive in the Mayhem_

The gang was huddled by a bookshelf in the library. In his hands, Fred was clutching a copy of the e-mail Daphne had received the previous night. This had him worried, growing more and more furious with Morte. He feared that this contact she had with Daphne could be a clue that the red-head was in danger.

"Fred, what's wrong?" Velma wondered, seeing the frustration written across his features.

"I don't like how this freak is still messing with our heads," he mumbled, not looking up from the piece of paper.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They knew very little about this psychotic woman, other than the fact that she enjoyed terrorizing people with this "test." After Morte had been arrested, the police officers had scanned her fingerprints and ran them through every database possible. Unfortunately, they had gotten no hits. This woman wasn't in any sort of system. This made her identification nearly impossible, for she refused to say anything on the subject. After a while, the police gave up trying, feeling that her true identity was not important as long as she was locked away. They had sent her to the Manderly Institution, a facility specifically designed for the criminally insane.

"Like, does this mean she's going to try and break out?" Shaggy asked, gulping nervously. Next to him, Scooby shivered in fear. He was glad that, in a few minutes, school would start and he would have to leave the campus. Dealing with Morte was scary enough by itself, but toss in a vampire and the dog was nearly petrified with terror.

Fred nodded slowly. "I think so." He looked around at his friends. "Alright, it says here that she won't try anything yet. So why don't we just focus on the vampire? Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, you guys will look in here and see if you can dig up any information on our creepy friend. Daphne and I will walk through the campus to find out if he's here or not."

Each person nodded and began to do their designated task.

Daphne and Fred exited the library side by side, not speaking. Daphne knew that this would be a terrible time to have the conversation she'd been dying to start. Fred was afraid that Daphne would be mad at her for his attitude after the vampire had attacked. He knew that she had every right to be upset, for he had ignored her phone calls and not responded to her texts.

"Listen, I-" they both began at the same time.

"Sorry, you go first," Daphne told him, giggling slightly at their timing. The two were now walking down an eerily deserted hallway. It was early in the morning, still at least thirty minutes until school would actually begin, and a fine mist was settling outside.

"Okay," Fred responded awkwardly. He wasn't sure how to correctly articulate all that he had to say. "Listen, Daph, I was a complete and total asshole yesterday. It's just that I...I'm...I'm still worried about Morte coming back," he lied, feeling like an idiot for using that as an excuse. Why couldn't he just admit that he was in love with her and was growing increasingly jealous and depressed because she liked someone else?

Daphne smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Fred. She's behind bars now. She can't get to us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he muttered. He decided to direct the conversation to something that had been bothering him in the library. "I just don't like the way she talked to _you_. I don't want even want Morte to _think_ about you. She's insane, Daphne, and this could end up really bad. I just...I don't want to see you get hurt." A person could say that to a friend without it meaning anything more, right?

Daphne put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Nothing's going to happen to me, alright? I promise." There seemed to be no sign of any trouble, so Daphne felt that this time was as good as any to tell Fred how she truly felt. "Freddie, I-I want to tell you something," she began slowly, unsure of how to go about this. "I, um...well, remember how I said that I had 'feelings for someone?' Well, that person is, um...it's-"

Daphne was cut off by a scream. Red came running down the hallway, terror written across his face.

"This had better be good," Daphne growled, surprisingly vicious. She had come so close to finally coming clean and telling Fred, only to have it interrupted by this overgrown child.

"It-it's a vampire!" he shouted, pointing down the hall. "I was just walking along, minding my own business, and it jumped out and tried to attack me."

Fred squinted his eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing here so early in the first place?" he inquired.

Red blushed, looking at the ground. "I work as a janitor here in the mornings to make some extra cash." He seemed to be over his embarrassment and lifted his head, glaring at Fred. "I know the only reason Blake hangs out with you is because you're rich. Well, one day, I'm going to have way more money than you, and she'll want me instead." His eyes darted between the two teens before him. "I'm out of here," Red told them before walking off to the parking lot.

Fred and Daphne, now free from the weirdness that accompanied Red, started making their way toward the hallway from which he had just come, searching for any trace of the mysterious creature. They came up empty-handed, wishing that they had been there sooner to see the vampire before he escaped.

Meanwhile, in the library, Velma and Shaggy were having absolutely no luck in tracking down any sort of information that would pertain to their investigation. It didn't help that Scooby-Doo was curled up in a corner, whining. His whimpering changed to wailing, causing Velma and Shaggy to look around and find out what was wrong. They saw that their mysterious visitor had made another appearance.

"I thought I told you all to leave," the vampire hissed, lunging toward them.

The terrified trio ran for the exit, only stopping when they quite literally ran into Fred and Daphne. They hurriedly explained that the vampire had been there and had chased them away, but not before Velma had actually recalled some helpful information.

"Something I was reading about reminded me of that lockdown we had a few months ago," she told her friends. "Remember that? Someone had robbed a nearby bank and came onto campus with the stolen money. The guy was caught, but the police were never able to recover the cash. There have been some rumors that it's still around here somewhere."

Fred's eyes lit up. "So this proves what we've known all along!"

Shaggy and Scooby exchanged confused looks. "And, like, that is...?"

"That this vampire is a phony," he replied. "Alright, gang, listen up. I have a plan."


	4. A Success in the School

Thanks for all the great ideas for the plan! I'm warning you ahead of time: I'm frustrated, tired and it's one o'clock in the morning. Be prepared for some minor grammatical errors or poor word choice. I'll try to avoid these as much as possible. Also, I just wanted to say that some parts may seem a little rushed, but that's probably because I forgot what I wrote in that particular scene. You see, I already typed out this whole chapter, but, as I went to save it on my laptop, it said that I hadn't signed in, which is impossible considering you have to sign on to edit your stories in the first place. Anyway, once I'd signed on, all the work I had just done was completely deleted. Now I'm pretty pissed at this computer. Also, sorry if this story seems to be moving along pretty quickly. It's true that it is progressing much quicker than my other ones. Every story has seven chapters. The plan isn't usually mentioned until the fifth or sixth chapter. Well, now I'm going to stop typing and save this so it doesn't delete again.

_Chapter 4 A Success in the School_

Everyone leaned in closer, eager to hear the details of Fred's plan. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it almost instantly, furrowing his brow. "First we need to figure out who will be the bait," he told the others.

Velma bit her lip, knowing who the logical choice for this position would be, but she was also aware of the fact that Fred would kill her for merely suggesting it. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I think Daphne should be the bait." As she suspected, Fred shot her a deathly glare. "Don't take this personally, Daph, it's just that this creep seems to have a thing for you. I just think it would be the smartest choice. If anyone would be able to get the vampire's attention, it would be you."

"No," Fred said simply, yet there was such athority in his tone that no one dared question him on this matter. He looked up at Shaggy and Scooby, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

Shaggy shook his head, knowing what the blonde leader was going to suggest next. "Like, no way, man," he said. "Uh-uh, Scoob and I aren't going to do that again."

"Reah," Scooby agreed. "No r'way."

Velma grinned knowingly and reached into her backpack, pulling out a familiar box. "Would you do it for a Scooby Snack?" She shook the box, allowing the treats to move around inside. When she saw that this wasn't having the speedy affect that she was used to, Velma put on her best "puppy dog" face, eyes pleading and innocent.

Shaggy glared at her. Why did she have to do this to him? He would never be able to say "no" to her when she did that. She would always know how to get to him. "Fine," he muttered. "But I hope you know that you're an evil woman for using our weaknesses against us like that."

Velma smiled happily and quickly rationed out the treats.

Shaggy and Scooby were still finishing off their bribe as Fred explained the plan. "Okay, Shaggy and Scooby will get the vampire's attention. Then, they will let him chase them toward down this hallway. Once they pass that door, where we will be hiding, the rest of us will dump a bucket of soapy water on the floor, making it slippery. He will the slide down the hallway and out the door. We will rig a net to drop down as soon as the door is opened, thus trapping the vampire." He smiled, pleased with his brilliant plan.

"But, like, how will we get the dude's attention?" Shaggy wondered.

"Don't worry," Fred responded, his eyes twinkling mysteriously. "I've got that covered."

No one had a chance to ask him what the hell he meant by this, for the hallway had just become crowded with other students. Scooby merrily trotted away from his human friends, glad to be heading safely home where he would sleep all day. Shaggy walked Velma toward her locker while Fred did the same with Daphne.

"Like, Velma, why do I always end up as the bait?" Shaggy asked curiously.

Velma chuckled. "Well, I imagine it has something to do with the fact that you seem completely incapable of saying 'no' when Scooby Snacks are involved."

Shaggy shook his head. "I don't think that's it. I mean, like, today I was totally going to not do it, even if you were, like, bribing me with dog treats."

Velma, smiling, replied, "Well, then I guess you just can't refuse anyone."

Shaggy blushed slightly and looked down at his shoes. "It's not 'anyone,' only you," he mumbled quietly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

Shaggy raised his head, looking directly into those deep brown eyes of hers. "I can't refuse _you_. I can say 'no' to, like, other people, but it's a lot harder to do with you," he admitted.

Velma's face softened. Her smile became light and angelic as a pleasant, fluttering feeling began in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't too sure how to respond to that, for no one had ever said it to her before. She was usually the one that people had no problem refusing, but with Shaggy, things were different. It was as if she were leading the glamorous life of Daphne rather than her own. Shaggy made her feel special, beautiful, noticed. He alone knew how to lift her spirits on a bad day. So, not possessing the words to express her feelings, Velma did something she had done a couple times before. She stood up on the balls of her feet, leaning toward him, and giving him one, swift peck on the cheek. Then, she glanced at him one last time before walking away.

Shaggy was absolutely stunned. Why did she keep doing this to him? Did it mean anything? Was she doing that to show she had feelings for him or was it just a friendly gesture of thanks?

"Like, what the hell is that supposed to _mean_?" he shouted after her, though his voice was lost in the sea of noise that had now settled in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Fred and Daphne were sitting on a bench outside, attempting to escape the overwhelming mass of students that had now flooded all the buildings.

"Fred, why didn't you want me to be the bait?" Daphne asked, looking at him to analyze his reaction.

Fred kept looking straight ahead, avoiding her eyes. He had been desparately hoping that she would not ask this question, for fear that it might drag up a sensitive conversation. He sighed and responded, "Because I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't want this creep to get you. I want you to stay here with me." He blushed, realizing what he had just said. "I mean, with _us_. I want you to stay here with the rest of us."

She simply nodded in response, her face unreadable. Daphne didn't say another word, knowing that further discussion of his concern for her would fuel her desire to tell him how she really felt. This wasn't something she planned on doing any time soon, for she wasn't sure what she could possibly gain by admitting her feelings. What if he didn't feel the same? Then their frienship would be ruined forever. No, she would keep her love a secret for as long as possible, for it was better to have Fred in her life as a friend than to not have him in it at all (A/N: I was watching the movie "Just Friends" today and that's a line from the very last scene).

Later that day, the plan was set. Everything was in place as Scooby and Shaggy walked awkwardly out into the middle of the hallway. They shifted uneasily in their costumes, pulling and tugging at the fabric.

"Quit messing with your outfits," Fred commanded from his position in the doorway.

"But, like, dude, this is totally ridiculous," Shaggy complained. Both he and Scooby were wearing identical purple dresses, red wigs and small heels. They were very ugly versions of Daphne. "That creep would have to be completely bonkers to ever believe we're, like, the real deal. We look nothing like her!"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a big baby. He doesn't have to fall for it; he just has to be interested enough to chase you." A distant sound of footsteps could be heard from his location. "Quick! Get ready; here he comes."

Sure enough, the vampire, in all his freaky glory, emerged from the opposite end of the hallway. He immediately noticed the two imposters standing before him, jumping toward them and initiating the chase. He followed the two cowards down the hall and past the doorway where Fred, Daphne and Velma were hiding. Right on cue, they poured out the bucket, sending the bubbly water gliding across the surface of the floor. As soon as the vampire stepped down on the newly-slippery tile, his feet slid out from under him. He was gliding toward the door when it became painfully obvious that Scooby and Shaggy wouldn't move out of the way in time. The two Daphnes were knocked over by the vampire and ended up sliding out the door as well, sitting on the fanged man's lap.

Fred, Daphne and Velma carefully made their way outside toward the net, which had succeeded in catching Shaggy and Scooby as well as the criminal. The rest of the gang laughed at their friends, who were now perched on the back of the vampire.

Fred pulled out a long piece of rope that he had been carrying and lifted the net to free the two cowards in disguise. Right as he did so, the vampire made a move to escape, but was stopped by Fred's firm hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the blonde boy said, tying the rope securely around the crook's arms and legs.

Daphne looked at the man curiously. "Well, now I guess all that's left to do is call the police and find out who this guy really is."

Fred smiled, pleased to be the smart one for once, as he responded, "I think I already have a pretty good idea."


	5. An Explanation in the Afternoon

Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming. I would like to give a special shout-out to Hollie for providing me with the idea behind this whole story. Thank you for that!

_Chapter 5 An Explanation in the Afternoon_

Officer Spencer walked up to the kids, who by now were waiting patiently at the front of the school, the vampire still tied up and in disguise. The gang smiled as they saw the policeman approaching them.

"Well, what do we have here?" Spencer asked curiously.

"This 'vampire' has been lurking around school for the past few days," Velma explained.

Spencer's eyes widened in surprise. It always amazed him how brave these kids seemed to be, taking on all these mysteries. They were a very talented bunch, that was for sure. "Do you mind telling me who this guy is?"

Velma opened her mouth to respond, but realized that she honestly had no idea. Everyone else in the group seemed to look equally perplexed. Everyone, that is, except Fred, who was grinning happily.

He took a reached out and grabbed a handful of the vampire's cape, using the fabric to wipe the crook's makeup off. "It's none other than Red Herring," he answered.

Everyone gasped, because, sure enough, underneath all that white face paint was the bully's freckled face. He had apparently used some sort of hairspray to temporarily dye his hair black and had gotten an vampire costume from a local Halloween shop.

"But we saw him in the hallway as the vampire was chasing Velma and Shaggy," Daphne said, confused.

Fred shook his head. "No, we saw him before that, remember? After he left us, he went to his car to get his costume. Then, he slipped into the library and scared Shaggy and Velma away."

"Wait a second," Shaggy piped up. "Like, how the hell did he disappear? In the library, the vampire, like, vanished in a puff of smoke."

Fred grinned. "With these," he responded, reaching into Red's pocket and pulling out a handful of small pellets. "These little things release a cloud of smoke when they're thrown onto the ground. Magicians use them in some of their tricks. When Red threw one of these down, the smoke would distract us long enough for him to run away, making it seem like he just disappeared."

"But why?" Officer Spencer inquired.

Red answered that question himself. "Because I wanted the money that the bank robber left here a few months ago. I figured that if I could get a hold of that cash, Daphne would think twice about refusing to go out with me."

Daphne shook her head. Why did she have to be the one that attracted all the creeps? "No offense, Red, but it wouldn't have helped."

"Right, there was that 'other guy,'" Red spat bitterly. "But trust me, once I showed off my three million dollars, you wouldn't be able to resist."

Daphne sighed. "You seriously went through all this trouble because I wouldn't go out with you? That seems like a bit much, don't you think?"

Fred shrugged. "You're worth it," he said simply, the words coming out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them over.

Red glared at the blonde boy. "Yeah, I did this all for you, Daphne. And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling punks and that stupid dog."

A few minutes later, Red drove off in the back of a police car, handcuffed. Everyone smiled at the thought of the easy mystery, almost like a break from their tougher cases. Eventually Fred and Daphne broke away from the rest of the group, going to have yet another one of their slightly awkward conversations. Scooby, spotting an attractive poodle not far away, soon left Shaggy and Velma alone as well.

Velma rocked back and forth, not sure what to say now that there was no one else around. "So, Shaggy," she began lamely, "what are you going to do now that this whole thing is over?"

He shrugged his bony shoulders. "Not sure," he responded. "I guess I'll, like, go home and watch a movie or something with Scoob." Shaggy's face lit up. "Hey, do you, like, want to come? It'll be way more fun if you're there."

Velma smiled eagerly. "Yeah, I'd really like that."

Shaggy grinned back, glancing up to see that Fred and Daphne were sitting on the same bench they had been at earlier that day.

For a moment, neither the red-head nor the blonde spoke. It was a comfortable silence, not awkward at all. As Fred sat there, he recalled something that had been bothering him for nearly the whole afternoon.

"Daph, what were you going to say to me earlier?" he asked. "You started to talk about that guy you like, but you weren't able to finish what you were saying because Red interrupted us."

Daphne blushed slightly. She had desparately been hoping that their whole conversation from that time would simply be forgotten. She knew that she should tell Fred how she felt, but wasn't sure if she wanted to take that risk. "Well, I was saying that the guy that I, um, have feelings for is...he's, um..." She looked up, unable to finish. Daphne stared into his deep blue eyes, understanding and kind. His gentle smile that provided immediate comfort. His warm hand that now rested reassuringly on her own. She thought about the great friendship that they shared, their late-night conversations on the phone, all the time they spent together, the way he always had her back. She knew that admitting this love would be the right thing to do. "That guy is...well, he's..._fake_," she finally blurted out. "Yeah, I made him up as an excuse to avoid Red."

Fred nodded and smiled. He didn't seem at all disturbed by this news. On the contrary, he was sort of pleased by it. If Daphne didn't have another love interest, then there was still hope for him. Maybe, after spending some more time together, she would fall for him just as he had fallen for her. Soon, hopefully, this would happen.

"Why don't you ever go out with anyone?" he asked bluntly, once again speaking before he thought over the words. He cringed internally at what at awful mistake it was to say that question aloud. He was about to apologize and take it back when she responded.

"Because I don't like any of the guys that ask me out. They're all selfish, stupid and superficial. I need someone who's nice, smart, knows how to make me smile and will always be there for me." Daphne blushed slightly as she added quietly, "Someone like you." Half of her hoped that Fred got the hint, though the other half wished that he didn't.

Fred was completely taken by surprise. What did that mean? She had just told him that she didn't have feelings for anyone at all, but here she was saying that she wanted someone like him. Did that mean that she wanted him to ask her out? Or was she merely using him as an example? How was he supposed to respond to this? Why the hell did this girl have to be so confusing all the time? Each of these questions ran through his mind as he sat there silently, not saying another word.

Daphne was slightly uncomfortable with the quiet that had fallen over them. Did her comment scare him off? She felt the need to apologize for it but was afraid to open her mouth, fearing that, if she did, she would start pouring out her feelings. She sighed and stared aimlessly at the school, wondering what was going to happen to them next.

* * *

Sorry that this chapter ends on a not-so-exciting note. Not everything can have a cliffhanger. Well, since all of my stories have seven chapters, that means that I still have two more to write. I already know what will be in the last one, but I'm still a little confused on what I should put in chapter six. So, if you're readin this, please, please, please give some suggestions for the next chapter. I have everything planned out for the last one, so don't suggest anything for that.


	6. Trouble in Paradise

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll try to make this chapter as interesting as possible, but it may be a little dull in some areas. Anyway, here you go!

_Chapter 6 Trouble in Paradise_

That night, everyone, once again, crammed into the barn behind Shaggy's house, ordering pizza to celebrate their victory. Velma had been a little disappointed that her movie night with Shaggy wasn't going to happen, but he promised to take her to a nice dinner to make up for it. Though this wouldn't be an official date, it was enough to cheer her up. She allowed herself to laugh with the others as Scooby and Shaggy devoured two of the three pizzas within the first minute. Spirits were high and worries were low as the gang felt themselves completely relax. They didn't allow anything to bother them, making the night seem as though it would be a long and pleasant one.

Around ten o'clock, Daphne's phone chirped, alerting her to the fact that she had received an e-mail. She quickly looked down to see who it was, still laughing obliviously. Her good mood was cut short immediately as she noticed that the sender was Morte.

Fred, noticing that Daphne seemed upset, walked over to her, a large, happy grin across his face. He was completely unaware of what had happened. He glanced at her phone to see what was ruining her sense of celebration. What he saw caused him to silence the others, looking very grave. He gently took the Blackberry from Daphne's grasp and opened to e-mail to see what Morte wanted to tell them.

_Just like Yin and Yang, Daphne and Fred,  
What would one do if the other was dead?  
Shaggy and Velma, two peas in a pod,  
What would one do if the other was gone?  
Wonderful Scooby-Doo, man's best friend,  
What would you do if his life were to end?  
If you wish to prevent this terrible fate,  
Come visit me tomorrow morning at eight._

_-Morte_

Shaggy gulped. "Like, zoinks!"

"Jinkies."

"Jeepers."

"R'oh boy."

"What are we going to do?" Daphne asked quietly, her big eyes looking up at Fred.

Fred shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "We have to go," he told them. "We have to go visit her." He looked around at the helpless eyes of his friends, searching for guidance. "We can't risk that psychopath hiring someone to mess with us while she's locked up. Going to visit her is the right thing to do, right?" he asked, unsure and sounding like an frightened child rather than a tough teenager.

Daphne put her hand on his arm in a reassuring gesture. "Yes, Freddie, it's the right thing to do." She saw the pure terror in his eyes, making him look vulnerable. She hated seeing him this afraid. "It'll be fine," she said soothingly. "We'll go visit Manderly, see what Morte wants, and then we'll leave. Nothing will happen. It'll all be fine."

Daphne leaned closer, allowing Fred to smell the wonderful lilac scent that always accompanied her. He allowed himself to be persuaded that everything would be alright. He was just worried about what the e-mail had said. "Just like Yin and Yang, Daphne and Fred, what would one do if the other was dead?" She was threatening to kill his first true love and all of his close friends. He was now terrified that somehow she would be able to get to them. He shook his head, attempting to rid his mind of these thoughts. _No_, he thought, _Daphne's right. Everything will be fine_.

A few minutes later, with the happiness completely drained from the barn, everyone prepared for bed. Daphne and Velma were getting ready in one corner of the room while Fred and Shaggy were in another, each set having similar conversations.

"Like, how the hell did she know all that?" Shaggy asked, his voice cracking nervously. "Like, the Yin-Yang stuff with you and Daph, the way she, like, knows about your crush on her: how did Morte find out? And, like, dude, who the hell told her about my thing for Velma? I've never told, like, anyone! This is giving me a serious case of the heeby-jeebies."

Fred shrugged uneasily. "I have no idea. She must have someone on the outside watching us or something like that. I'm just really afraid she'll try to go after Daphne. Mary even said that if Morte was singling me out, then Daph was in definite trouble." He shivered at the thought of what this creep could do.

The girls were discussing the same topic.

"Why does she have all this information on us?" Velma wondered. "She obviously knows our feelings for the guys. And, honestly, I'd really like to find out how she knew about Yin-Yang thing with you and Fred. We're the only people that actually saw him give you that necklace. I just don't understand any of this."

"I'll bet you Mary's in on it," Daphne said accusingly. Velma gave her a look and Daphne added, "What? It's possible. You have to admit, that guy is a definite creep."

Velma sighed. "Daph, just because someone's a creep doesn't mean they're necessarily the bad guy."

Daphne merely shrugged. "Well, one thing's for sure: someone's been doing their homework. They've obviously kept Morte very well-informed. I just really don't want to see her tomorrow." A chill went down her spine at the thought of the last time they had come face to face with the maniac.

"You know what? I've had enough of all this depressing conversation," Velma said finally. "Let's talk about something different. Oh, I know! Did you ever tell Fred how you feel about him?"

Daphne exhaled sadly. "No, I didn't. It's a lot harder to say, 'I'm in love with you' than I expected. But, it's fine," she added with a forced smile. "I'm just not going to let things like that affect me anymore. Fred and I will always be just friends, nothing more. And I'm totally, one hundred percent okay with that."

Velma raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Daphne dropped her act. "Oh, who am I kidding? I hate being just friends. I wish there was something more, but he doesn't think of me _that way_. It's awful." She looked at Velma who was listening with sympathetic eyes. "You're lucky. You don't have to worry about that with Shaggy. There's no doubt in my mind that he likes you."

Velma blushed and didn't respond, looking over at the scrawny boy who had stolen her heart.

Meanwhile, only fifteen minutes away from Shaggy's house, an armed guard was walking down the hallway of Manderly Institute. He opened a door, looking exhausted and under-paid. Inside the small cell, a woman with dark, messy hair and wild eyes was rocking back and forth, sitting on her bed. She smiled madly as the man approached her, singing some sort of song under her breath.

"What did you want, Miss...?" the guard asked, unsure how to address this prisoner. He shifted uneasily, feeling uncomfortable in the woman's cell.

"You can call me Morte," she responded. "I'm going to need a little favor from you. I'd like to have a piece of paper and a pen. Could you please get it to me as soon as possible?"

The guard nodded and left, securely locking the door behind him. Still rocking, Morte began to chuckle. Her loud and insane laughter rang through the room, bouncing off the walls and echoing in the guard's ears as he hurried to get as far away from that woman as possible.


	7. Morte in the Morning

Before I let you read the chapter, I want to give a big thank-you to LadyStrength for the idea behind it. Also, thanks to SpongeAddict and LadyStrength for giving the awesome suggestions that inspired the sixth chapter.

_Chapter 7 Morte in the Morning_

The next day, the gang woke to the harsh sunlight glaring at them through the windows. They got up, sore and tired, feeling a sort of numb fear that could only be caused by Morte. Fred checked his phone, seeing that it was thirty minutes after six. This gave them plenty of time to get ready before heading out to Manderly.

"I'm going to go out to the van really quick," Daphne told the others, walking toward the door.

Fred ran up, blocking the exit. "Why?" he asked curiously.

"There's a laptop in there," she explained. "I'm going to look up directions to Manderly Institute so we don't get lost on the way there." Daphne gently shoved Fred out of the way, wondering why he was so worried about her all the time.

Fred looked at her retreating figure. Then he glanced back at Velma and Shaggy, thinking about what to do. Velma nodded her head. This simple gesture caused him to call after Daphne, "Wait! I'm coming with you." He knew it was strange to be so over-protective of her, but he couldn't help it. The thought of Morte causing any sort of harm to her was unbearable. _No,_ Fred thought, _nothing's going to happen. Daphne said so herself. Plus, she promised that Morte wouldn't get her. She promised_.

Velma sighed. "Poor Daphne," she said. "Fred's not going to let her out of his sight until this whole thing blows over."

Shaggy was confused. Why would that be a bad thing? Fred was just trying to keep her safe. There was nothing wrong with that. "Like, sorry, Velma, but you'd better get used to having someone follow you around, too."

Velma narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. "What do you mean, Shaggy?"

Shaggy gulped loudly, noticing her fierce expression. This time, however, he would not back down. "Until Morte, like, leaves us alone, you're not going anywhere without me."

"What? Come on, don't you think this is a bit of an overreaction?" she whined, sounding a lot like a toddler.

Shaggy shook his head fiercely. "Like, no way, uh-uh, I'm not taking any chances. Like, what if something actually did happen to you? I'm, like, not taking that risk." He looked down into her deep, sad eyes. She clearly didn't understand that he was doing this for the same reason Fred was following Daphne - love. He sighed. "I'm sorry that you, like, hate this idea, but believe me when I say that I, like, can't let anything bad happen to you."

Velma thought about this. He seemed really concerned about her. That wasn't a bad thing. At least it meant he cared. She smiled at last, thinking about all the time they'd get to spend together. No, this wouldn't be a bad thing at all. "Alright," she finally said, smiling.

This confused Shaggy. Why did she suddenly have a change of heart? What caused her to get over her hatred of this plan and smile? He shook his head. "I don't understand you," he muttered, though she could not tell what he had said.

About an hour later, the gang piled into the Mystery Machine. Fred, directions in hand, started the van and nervously began driving toward Manderly. He often stole glances at Daphne, only looking at her for a fraction of a second before turning his attention back to the road. Every time he'd done this, her eyes seemed to be on him. Why was she staring?

Daphne kept a steady gaze, her attention never leaving Fred. Every once in a while, she noticed him looking in her direction, though she made no attempt to avert her eyes. She noticed how he was acting strong and determined, though she could tell he was worried.

"What do you think she wants?" Fred asked in an attempt to make conversation with the red-head.

Daphne shrugged. "Knowing her, it could be almost anything."

Fred saw Daphne's delicate hand resting on the seat near him. He boldly took one of his hands off the wheel and rested on hers. She blushed as she intertwined her fingers with his, enjoying the warmth that this touch provided.

Velma noticed the two in the front seat sharing their moment. She sighed. Would anything like that ever happen between her and Shaggy? A thought struck her. She should take her own advice: if something wasn't happening between them, she should make it happen. Velma took a deep breath before scooting over and resting her head on Shaggy's shoulder. It took him a while to get over the initial shock, but after he had regained his senses, he put his arm around her, pulling her close.

Velma giggled as Scooby made kissing faces at them, dancing around merrily.

The mood was soon spoiled as a large, white building came into view. A nearby sign informed them that this was indeed Manderly Institute. Everyone grew increasingly nervous as Fred parked the van.

They all walked inside, Fred holding Daphne's hand and Shaggy holding Velma's. Scooby trotted along in front of his human friends, leading them to a waiting area.

A flustered woman at a nearby desk turned to face the group. "May I help you?" she asked. There seemed to be a lot of chaos in the place. Guards ran back and forth, darting in and out of rooms; nurses in white uniforms with long needles dodged them as they rushed into an elevator. Some distant shouting could be heard in the background. It was clear that something big was happening.

Fred cleared his throat. "We're here to see Morte," he explained.

The woman's eyes grew darker. "Oh, you must be Mystery, Inc.," she responded gravely, picking up a phone and calling someone to inform them of this. Moments later a guard appeared. "This man will show you to her room and explain what's going on."

Fred nodded, confused by the last part of that sentence. Nonetheless, he followed the guard, who led the gang down a seemingly deserted corridor. The dimly lit hallway came to an end as they reached a door. The guard opened it and ushered the kids inside.

"Like, I don't get it," Shaggy said, breaking the eerie silence that had fallen over them. He looked around the room they were in. Everything was blindingly white. There was an uncomfortable-looking bed shoved against the right wall. A small toilet was in the far corner and there were crayons and paper scattered all over the place. "Where is she?"

Everyone else wondered the same thing, for Morte was not in the room.

"That's exactly what we've been trying to figure out," the guard told them. He walked toward the bed and picked up a piece of paper that had been resting there. Before the gang could even process what this man was saying, he shoved the paper in Fred's hands. It was another note.

_If you're reading this, that means you came.  
Any smart person would've done the same.  
I've said it before; I'll say it again:  
Our fun has not yet come to an end.  
__I got what I came for so I have left.  
Mystery, Inc. can now finish the test.  
__But be prepared, do not slack.  
Yes, my friends, I am back._

_-Morte_

* * *

Intense, right? Okay, so, as always, I'm going to ask you to review and tell me what you thought of this story. But there's also something else I wanted to get your opinion on.

When I first started writing this series, I had decided that there would be seven chapters in each story and there would be seven stories. Now that I've actually completed the sixth story in the series, I'm not sure if I want to stop. So, in your review, let me know if you think I should keep this writing this series or if I should stop. Please just take the time to review because I'm honestly leaving this decision up to you, my dear readers.


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